Sorting and filing case.



B. B. MGSHEE SORTING AND FILIN E.

. PPPP I0 IIIIIIIII 1) MAY 14, 1908.

1, 1 30,096. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

' 2 SSSSSS s EEEE 1.

INVENTOR WITNESSES; ma

B. E. MGSHEBHY- SORTING AND FILING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 14, 1908.

1,1 39,6966 Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEET$SHEBT 2,

INVENTOR WITNESSESJ $021M? 9 THOLOMEW E. MOSHEEHY, OF NUTLEY, NEWJERSEY, ASSIGNOR 1'0 J. C. BLAIR COANY, 0F HUNTINGDOH, PENNSYLVANIA, ACORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SORTING ANDFILING CASE.

Epeciflcatioa of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1.915..

tain new and useful Improvements in Sort ing and Filing Cases, of whichthe followingjs a specification.

his invention relates to sorting and fil ing cases and aims to providecertain improvements therein.

The object of the present invention is provide a convenient means foruse in filing letters'or other papers, either alphabetically oraccording to some other determined sys-' term.

The invention is principally directed to the provision of a suitablesupporting de vice or rest for a file, which supporting device may beapart of the file if desired, or may be separable therefrom, so that itmay be used in connection witha series of files if desired. It iscustomary to file letters, bills and other papers in filing cases whichare approximately of book form, and in the use of such a file it iscustomary to place it on a table, or other support and after each letteris selected to turn to the proper letter of the alphabet or other indexto file the letter. The operation of filing has not heretofore been atallconvenient for the reason that such files do not lie flat when openedand practically require the use of two hands to manipulate them.

According to my invention, I provide a rest for files of this type whichis adapted to hold the file in any of its open positions withoutrequiring to be held by the user, thus leaving both hands free forfiling purposes. The rest is so constructed that the file may be used ina position to face the user, whereby its use is rendered moreconvenient.

My invention also comprises certain other features which willhereinafter ,be referred to. v

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein l have illustrated oneform of my invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the preferredconstruction. Fig. 2 is a simi- 'liir view showing the file opened. Fig.3 is a front elevation. Fig. 4 is a side elevation.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section of a modification.

Referring to Figs. 1 to f the drawings,

let A indicate my .improved rest or support as a whole. As shown, it comrises a hollow body formed of pasteboar and having an oblique supportingsurface a for the back of the file, which is indicated at B. The rest Ais also provided with a second supporting surface I) which is inclinedat an angle of about 45 from the vertical, andwhich is adapted to form asupport for one side of the file. In. the construction shown thesupportin surfaces a and b are adapted to hol the e in a tiltedposition. These surfaces are preferably made continuous, that is to say,of card board, metal or the like. This is not essential, however, sinceany constructibn which provides supports for.

the back and side of the file falls within the invention, even thoughsuch supports may consist merely of wires or strips. An importantfeature of the invention is the provision, beyond the supporting surfacea, of an auxiliary support for the cover c, of the file B, when thelatter is in its open condition. In the construction shown, theauxiliary support (which is lettered d) is" formed as a continuation ofthe supporting surface a, being extended in substantially the samedirection as the latter. ihe efiect of this construction as shown in Fi2, is that the cover in its open position is held slightly out of thehorizontal so that the leaves e of the file cannot tilt over anddischarge their contents. It is obvious that v the support of mayhowever be otherwise constructed.

The rest A may itself be supported in any suitable way. Preferably it isformed with a bottom portion f which extends the full length of thedevice from front to rear, so that the rest may be placed upon a tableor other surface in use. Other means of support may, however, beprovided, such as eyes 9 g by which the rest may be hung from a wall orthe like. Or the rest may, if desired, be screwed directly to. the wallor any other support. In the construction shown in Fig. 1, in case it isdesired to lighten the rest the rear portion of the structure shown inFig. 1 may be omitted as indicated in dotted lines in this figure or asshown in full lines in Fig. 6. In this case, in order to preserve thestability of the structure a weight it may be provided in the base 1",as shown in Fig. 6.

My invention is particularly adapted for no use as a temporary sortingdevice for clasof the file, said supports being in rigid consifyingpapers alphabetically or otherwise, nection with said base, and atiltinf suppreliminary to finally filing them away. For this purpose, itis preferable that t and rest be formed inseparably. This may be easilyaccomplished in the present construction by merely gluing or-otherwisefastening the back of any suitable file to the supporting surface a ofthe rest. The invention is, however, equally advantageous as a supportor rest for use in connection with separate files. In the constructionshown,'the file is securely held in all of its positions without beingconnected to the rest. In use there is no danger of slipping or otherdisplacement of the"file and no liability of the filed letters slippingout of their places when the maximum quantity of letters or the like,which the file 1s capable of holding, is approached.

To accommodate round back files the supporting surface a may be madecurved as shown at a in Fig. 6.

It will be seen that the device provided by my invention is adapted tohold a file or other like device in a position in which both of thecovers'of the file gif a separate file is used) are maintained in suchposition that they do not tend to close after the file is opened, andthat the pages or leaves of the filc hold their positions when turnedover one or the other of the covers. This insures that when the userturns to a certain page the file maintains its open position at suchpage so that it does not require any attention on the part of theoperator to maintain a given position of the file. This practicallyleaves both hands free for filing purposes and results in a great gainin the speed with which papers may be filed. In use the file and restmay be placed in a position with their ends toward the user, or withtheir front portions toward him, as may be most convenient. Ordinarily,however, the front position'is desirable in that the hands may be usedmore naturally when in this position.

While my invention is perhaps of greatest advantage in connection withan index or other sub-divided filing device, it may be used in any otherconnection if desired.

While I have shown and described in detail several forms of myinvention, I do not wish to be limited thereto as various modificationscan be made therein without departing from the invention.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A rest for file's or the like having a. base uponwhich the device is supported,

ing a cover on one side thereof, a sup port a adapted to swing from saifirstnamed support over to said last-named support, and the latter beingadaptedto maintain said support 0 in an outwardly extended position.

2. The combination of a rest for a file having a base upon which thedevice is supported, an upwardly and rearwardly'im clined supportadapted to support the side of a file, a shorter support inclined awayfrom the horizontal and adapted to support the back of the'file and atilting su port a hinged within the outer edge of tie lower support andadapted to be held by the latter in an open position.

3. The combination of a file having a series of leaves united together,and means for holding said file having an upwardly and rearwardlyinclined supporting surface adapted to support the leaves of the file inan inclined position, andv a lower supporting surface also upwardlyinclined for supporting the back of the file, and a foldable meansadapted to he opened to an upwardly inclined position for supporting theopposite side of the file, and means for holding said foldable means insuch position.

4. The combination of a file having a series of leaves disconnected attheir sides and united at their backs, and means for holding said filehaving an upwardly and rearwardly inclined supporting surface adapted tosupport the leaves of the file in an inclined position, a lowersupporting surface also upwardly inclined for supporting the back of'the file, a .foldable means for supporting the opposite side of thefile, and a support I) for holding said foldable means in its extendedposition.

5. A combined file and support, compris rting surface on the other sidethereo an. upwardly inclined supporting surface at the back thereof, anda supporting surface adapted to hold said cover in an open position.

6. A rest for files or the like having a base upon which the device issupported, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined support adapted tosupport the side of a file, a shorter support inclined upwardly fromthehorizontal and adapted to support the back gfa file, and a weightlocated near such ase.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed by name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

BARTIIOLOMEW E,- MCSHEEHY.

Witnesses:

FRED WHITE, E. V. Mamas.

